Illusion of truth
by tangledcharm
Summary: After a failed mission, Erza seeks out the truth about what truly happened that faithful day. With corruption and betrayal at every turn, she's left questioning, who can she really trust? (Jerza AU)


It was mid Autumn and Lucy had taken it upon herself to organize a long weekend away to the countryside with the girls: Mira, Lisanna and Erza. She'd rented out a sizeable cabin, which was tucked away between two large farms. The place was secluded by nature, which brought with it a peaceful and calm atmosphere.

"This place is amazing!" Lisanna chimed, twirling around the open-planned living space.

The friends soon settled into their temporary home, and by evening, all their belongings had been unpacked.

"This was such a great idea, Lucy!" Mira smiled and handed everyone a mug of hot chocolate.

"Thank you." Lucy smiled back. She cupped her mug between her hands and peered over at her red-haired friend. Erza sullenly sat alone, staring into the open log fire. The mug of hot cocoa sat in her hands, briefly forgotten amidst her daze.

Lucy's heart sank from the withdrawn expression that now tortured her friend's features. It had been such a long time since she had last seen Erza smile. She missed the beautiful bloodthirsty grin Erza sported whenever she emerged victorious from a spar, or the serene uptilt of her mouth when she bathed in the presence of her friends. Lucy wondered if she would ever see her smile again.

Erza finally sipped down the sweet, thick substance of her hot cocoa as she watched the dancing flames flicker around the edges of the campfire. The embers reminded her of blazing temperatures and collapsing buildings. With each passing glow, she found herself spiraling deeper into the recesses of her memory. It had been almost a year since the incident, but she could still feel the pain, still raw and burning fresh.

* * *

The red and blue-haired duo stood within the confines of the office together, the normal easy atmosphere between them had been replaced with tension, and uncertainty.

"This isn't some low-life scumbag you're dealing with." Erza frowned. "This is serious."

"And I understand that, but we're not going to be able to get this guy unless we have someone undercover within his system," Jellal sighed for the umpteenth time.

"But why does it have to be you!?" She shouted, hints of worry mixing with her outburst of frustration. Her hands clenched tightly onto his tie as she cast her gaze onto the ground. "It's just too dangerous…"

Jellal slowly took her hands in his, and stopped her from fixing his tie.

"Erza."

She shook her head and slowly looked up to meet his perfect green eyes, her own misting from the severity of the situation. He gently wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a warm, tight hug.

"I promise you... I'll return safely."

* * *

Erza raced into the meeting with her cheeks burning red, and her hair thrown backwards.

"What's going on?" She demanded, "What happened?!"

"Jellal's position has been compromised." Laxus, her commanding officer quickly informed her.

"How?"

"We're not sure, all we know for certain is that his identity has been discovered. And now they're planning on blowing up the building where he and a number of civilians are being held."

Erza felt her heart sink and everything around her seemed to play out in slow motion. She could barely hear Laxus's voice thundering with orders, while Cana, Gildart and others raced passed her.

"Erza, Erza!" Gray pulled at her arm, forcing her legs to move and follow him. "They've found him, Erza, they've found him."

Erza snapped out of her daze when the building Jellal was in came into view.

"Where is he?"

"He's still inside, but Freed-"

Suddenly, a huge explosion broke out from within the building. Erza turned to see the crumbling structure in a blaze. A fiery hole was blasted within the eastern side of the edifice, and flames and smoke continuously poured down onto the surroundings.

"Jellal!" She screamed and raced towards the flaming building.

"Erza, wait!" Gray called after her.

Erza ignored the cries of her fellow officers and commander. Blazing embers danced through the air as she sprinted towards the burning flames. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she willfully tried to ignore the intense heat.

"Jellal!" Black spots blurred at the edge of her vision as she raced towards the flames.

Before she could get close enough to the hanging door, she was blown away by an intense explosion.

"Erza!"Gray screamed.

* * *

When Erza opened her eyes again she found herself lying in a hospital bed. Towering over her was her commanding officer, Laxus.

"You're lucky you didn't get seriously injured." He heaved a sigh of relief. "You stepped onto a hidden mine, but fortunately you came out unscathed. It's a miracle."

Erza gently sat herself up and placed her hand over her throbbing head. Her entire body ached.

"Where's Jellal?" Her voice rasped. "I need to see him."

A thick silence settled between them.

"Jellal didn't make it."

Erza felt the blood slowly drain from her body, "What do you mean he didn't make it? This isn't funny-I'm not in the mood for games. He had to make it!" She howled at him in denial, "Where is he, Laxus-where's Jellal?!"

"Erza." Laxus placed his hand on her shoulder which she quickly slapped away.

"He has to be alive, he promised me he would return safely." Tears began to pool in her eyes. "You said he'd be alright!" She screamed.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

* * *

"Erza?"

The scarlet haired beauty gradually came back to reality to see Lucy sitting beside her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah...I'm just tired from the journey." She lied.

Lucy saw through the fabrication and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I know what it's like to lose someone you love. Everything seems to stop, and all you can think about is the pain. You find yourself sitting there playing out the memoirs, and blaming yourself for not having done something different."

Erza nodded her head gently, "He should have never taken that case. I could have stopped him."

"But if it had been you who had been chosen to go on the case, would you have said no?"

Erza looked down at her creamy, cold cup of chocolate and shook her head.

"I can't promise you that the pain will ever go, but I do know it gets easier. And having friends who care and love you, really helps."

Erza slowly brought her head up, and looked at Lucy. She knew without her friends help she would still be standing at Jellal's grave, sobbing.

"Thank you." She offered the sweet blonde a small smile.

Lucy wrapped her arms around her friend, and hugged her tightly.

"I'm always here for you. We all are."

* * *

The next morning, Mira decided it would be a wonderful idea to go out and visit the farmers market. Everyone was thrilled by the suggestion, and before long, they were all wandering around the cabin, getting ready.

"Will you be coming Erza?" Lisanna asked.

"No, I think I'd like to stay here today." She declined and went out onto the large, wooden porch.

She settled herself down on the three seater swing and took a small sip of her herbal tea. The day was beautiful and warm. The birds sang their songs in the high trees, while the squirrels chased one another along the vibrant, green grass. She soaked in the beauty of her surroundings with small, deep breaths.

She picked up her book and turned to the page she had previously been reading the night before. She soon became lost in the words and story, until the echoing sound of machinery disturbed her tranquility.

Erza peered over towards the neighbouring fields to see a young farmer driving his tractor. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat, "Jellal?"

* * *

A:N: I'm finally back and writing my stories again! I'm so happy I can share my work with you all again :) I want to say a huge thank you to my beta reader, **Magical Puttemtator.**

Until next time, stay awesome, eat oreos and...

JERZA FOREVER! ;)

I just want to say a huge thank you to my beta reader **Magical Puttemtator**


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